The present invention is in the field of devices and methods for machine quilting, and, in particular, in the field of quilting frames and other devices and methods for the positioning and retention of fabric for sewing with a quilting machine.
Devices for machine quilting typically consist of three primary components, a frame, a sewing machine, and a machine carriage having a carriage bottom plate that travels laterally on an x-axis and a carriage top plate that travels longitudinally on a y-axis. Quilt fabric layers, which typically consist of backing fabric, batting, and top fabric, but may consist of as few as one layer of fabric or more than three layers, which single fabric layer, or multiple layers collectively, may be referred to in this application as a “quilt core”. The term “fabric layers” when used in this application, shall be defined to include a single layer of fabric. The fabric layers are rolled onto fabric layer rails and fed from the respective fabric layer rails to a take-up rail that passes through the throat of the sewing machine, suspending the fabric layers of the quilt core together to rest on the sewing machine bed. In order for the fabric layers of the quilt core to remain flat and straight, it is necessary for the fabric layer rails and the take-up rail to be longer than the quilt is wide.
For a typical quilting frame, the sewing machine is positioned on and secured to the quilting frame carriage top plate and is guided on the machine carriage to create a desired stitching pattern as the layers of fabric are quilted together. The sewing machine is guided longitudinally and laterally across the available quilting work area, which is determined by the length of the throat of the sewing machine and the width of the quilt fabric itself, the width of the quilt being limited to the width of the quilting frame. When the fabric in the work area has been sewn, the fabric is rolled forward from the fabric layer rails to the take-up rail so that the completed area is rolled onto the take-up rail which passes through the throat of the sewing machine. This also advances the fabric that has not yet been quilted into the work area and the new strip of un-quilted fabric area may then be sewn. A typical quilting frame requires that the quilt be sewed from front to back, or vice versa, with the fabric progressively being fed onto the take-up rail as each strip of the quilt core is sewed from one side of the quilt core to the other.
An alternative to machine quilting with a traditional frame is to quilt by hand, performing all the stitching without a sewing machine, simply using a needle and thread. Another alternative is to baste the three layers of fabric together using pins or small stitches later to be removed. Once the fabric is basted, the user can quilt the layers together by guiding the fabric through the machine by hand. Hoops may also used to hold small areas of the quilt flat and straight to perform the stitching. Embroidery machines, for example, use a hoop to hold the fabric and then through motor control, move the hoop while the sewing machine stitches to create the desired patterns on the fabric.
Quilting without a frame requires basting, which is time consuming. Hand quilting or quilting by using a hoop also requires basting, and moving the fabric to create the sewing patterns can be cumbersome due to the amount of fabric that has to be manipulated in a large quilt. Machine quilting on a frame is a much more convenient and expeditious way to complete a quilt. However, machine quilting on a frame requires a large frame in order to make large quilts. Many quilters do not have enough space to accommodate the large quilting frame.
An objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for use in machine quilting that does not incorporate a full width quilting frame.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for use in machine quilting that requires substantially less space than that required by a typical quilting frame.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for use in machine quilting that does not require basting of the fabric layers of the quilt core.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a fabric retention and positioning apparatus for use in machine quilting that incorporates a hoop frame to hold the quilt core on all four sides of the work area to be quilted, rather than full width fabric layer rails and a full width take-up rail that passes through the throat of the sewing machine.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for machine quilting which incorporates a hoop frame which allows the fabric to drape around the frame instead of rolling from fabric rails onto a take-up rail.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for machine quilting which incorporates a hoop frame that provides for the segmented stitching of a larger size quilt while requiring a much smaller space occupied by the quilting apparatus.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for machine quilting which incorporates a hoop frame for which frame width is no longer a limiting factor in the size of a quilt that can be quilted.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for machine quilting which incorporates a hoop frame and a machine carriage.